How to update your marketing and branding strategy

In this article, you will learn how to update your marketing and branding to remain relevant in current times.We will cover 4 key rules, debunk the common myths, and provide actionable strategies on:

• How to be brief.
• How to be clear.
• How to be the boss.
• How to offer value.

Though new millennium is almost two decades old, and marketing and branding have drastically changed. So why are so many of my clients still living in the past when it comes to presenting their businesses to the world?

As a brand strategy consultant in Vancouver BC, I provide website strategy for CEO’s and entrepreneurs and I see many of the same common myths and mistakes.  It’s time to throw out the myths of the nineties and embrace the truths of marketing in the digital age!

1. How to be brief

Myth #1 – The more you say in marketing, the better.

New Truth #1 – Less is more.

To be heard and understood, you don’t have to say much. You just have to be clear. Take the time to figure out your number one value, the one you want to communicate to your clients. Then get your message out there, in as few words as possible. Tag lines are the new way to communicate concisely. Be clever with your tag lines.

Action #1 – Ask yourself: What is the number one value I bring to my clients? Then come up with a few good tag lines to communicate your value.

2. How to be Clear

Myth #2 – Find out what your clients want. Get into their heads.

New Truth #2 – Stay in your own head.

Don’t waste time trying to understand what others want. When you project yourself onto others, trying to figure out how to make them come to you, you are not in your own head. Get back into your own head by focusing instead on your own values. Market your product by marketing its value and establishing your brand with consistent clarity. Make your message simple: This is what I offer.

Action #2 – Define for yourself what you offer! Be clear, be concise.

3. How to be the boss

Myth #3 – Don’t do it all. Hire experts.

New  Truth #3 – Understand your business.

No one knows your business like you do. You are the expert. Before experts can do anything for you, they have to understand your business—from you! Put your energy into understanding your business for yourself. When you understand your business, you can hire the experts you really need without giving your power away. Be clear about what you want and only hire experts who can benefit your business.

Action #3 – Invest time in writing guidelines that define you and your business. Start with the number one value you want to bring to your clients.

4. How to offer value

Myth #4 – Advertise and market your product in detail.

New Truth #4 – Offer value.

Product is obsolete. In the new millennium, anyone can get anything with the simple click of a button. And that means you are competing with an almost infinite number of options for your product or service. So how are you going to differentiate yourself from the competition? By the value you offer.

Let’s take an example. Suppose an internet marketing company promotes its product like this: “We offer internet marketing strategy, email marketing services, search engine optimization, etc., etc.” This is product-based marketing.

Suppose, instead, that the same company switched its approach to this: “Go climb Mount Kilimanjaro! We’ll climb the search engines for you.”

See the difference? This is value-based marketing. The client can see the company’s experts investing their time doing what they love—bringing the client value—while the client goes off and does what he or she loves. The key to your business success is to establish your brand based on the value you offer.

What’s the bottom line? You are not selling a product, you are selling a lifestyle.

Action #4 – Ask yourself: What is the lifestyle change I want to offer my clients?

You are the fire and creative force behind your business! Put your power where it belongs—in yourself. Define your purpose. Define your values. Understand your big picture in this ever-changing business world. Be willing to shift into value marketing, and reward your clients and website visitors with excellent free products that define your expertise. Then, with your team, design a clear and concise marketing plan to establish your unique brand.

Join Monica on Facebook and Twitter

If you enjoy Monica’s articles, please LIKE Luna Coaching Fan page and leave your comments. Follow Monica on Twitter http://twitter.com/MonicaMagnetti

Business Coach and Brand Consultant, Monica Magnetti from Luna Coaching in Vancouver BC, supports clients in defining all branding details of their business and expanding to a greater audience.

Save